Murdered soldier laid to rest amid anti-Pak slogans

Amid pro-India and anti-Pakistan slogans, Rifleman Aurangzeb, killed by terrorists after abduction from south Kashmir's Shopian district last Wednesday, was laid to rest in native Salani hamlet in the border district of Poonch.

Salani is a hamlet mainly comprising of soldiers serving or who have served in Indian armed forces.

The coffin, in which Aurangzeb's body lay, was wrapped in Tricolour and was carried by Army jawans and officers on their shoulders who trekked a serpentine path in the mountainous belt for over half an hour to reach his native village from a nearby road last evening. Earlier, the body was flown in a helicopter to Sagra helipad.

As the valiant soldier's last journey continued, thousands joined along on the route while several thousand more thronged the hamlet to pay tributes.

A pall of gloom descended on the remote hamlet, where people demanded that Army avenge the killing.

Amid anger and tears, Aurangzeb's body was laid to rest on Eid.

"We want the government and the Army to take revenge from militants. Those involved in his killing should be eliminated with 72 hours. I urge PM Narendra Modi to take stern action and not show weakness with regard to Kashmir and cleanup all those bad people," Aurangzeb's father Mohmmad Hanief said.

They abducted my unarmed son when he was coming home to celebrate Eid, the grief-stricken father said.

"I regret only one thing that he was unarmed. They are cowards. Had they fought him when he would have been armed, they should have known the difference between cowardice and valour," he said.

Calling for raising tricolours in every nook and corner of Kashmir by undertaking an operation to eliminate all terrorists, Hanief said he and his son were ready to sacrifice their lives for the nation.

He blamed political leaders of Kashmir for the present situation in the valley and said they were responsible for the deaths of soldiers to "reap political benefits".

He blamed Pakistan for the killing of his son and said the neighbouring country was inflicting serious damage on India, which needed to be repulsed.

Rifleman Aurangzeb of 44, Rashtriya Rifles, was abducted and killed by terrorists in Pulwama district when he was on his way home to celebrate Eid on June 14.

He was part of Major Rohit Shukla's team, which eliminated Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Sameer Tiger.

Aurangzeb had boarded a private vehicle for Shopian, from where he was supposed to go to Rajouri district. The terrorists intercepted the vehicle as it approached Kalampora and abducted the jawan. His bullet-riddled body was found by at Gussu village, about 10 km from Kalampora, in Pulwama district.